Report Designer

Stimulsoft report designer on route #/<route>/report-designer, integrated with framework metadata.

Screenshot Reference (User Manual)

• manual__reporting__03.png: report designer opening and main panel structure.
• manual__reporting__04.png: Stimulsoft datasource example pre-populated from route metadata.

Scope

• Report layout design (.mrt) directly in the UI.
• Report preview and saving associated with the metadata route.
• Support for iterative modification without manual export/import of the data model.

Datasource Pre-population from Metadata

When you open the report designer, the backend prepares the Stimulsoft datasource using the current route's metadata.

Logical flow:

• resolves the metadata route (_metadati__tabelle) and its related schema/table/query.
• reads the column definition (_metadati__colonne) with names, types, and relevant properties.
• builds the Stimulsoft datasource with fields consistent with the application metadata.
• makes the fields available in the designer's Dictionary panel, ready for drag-and-drop into the report.

Result:

• reduced manual field mapping work in the report designer.
• alignment between the data model used in list/grid and the report data model.
• greater robustness when the report is created starting from standard metadata routes.

Guided Creation: Template Selection Dialog

From the list's administrative menubar (Report → Create report) a dialog asks for the template type and the columns to include before opening the designer. The .mrt file is generated and saved server-side (MetaService.scaffoldReport, administrators only) in Reports/<route>/Report_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.mrt; the designer then opens on the ready-made file.

Available templates:

• Tabular (bands): row list with headers; cells are already populated with the selected columns (labels in the header, {route.column} bindings in the data band). Related routes (md_detail_grid_routes/md_nested_grid_routes) are listed as selectable options — unchecked by default — and generate the master-detail bands only when checked, with their own columns.
• Pivot table (crosstab): rows × columns matrix with an aggregated value; the dialog asks for one or more row columns, the horizontal dimension column, the value column, and the aggregation function (Sum/Avg/Count/Min/Max).
• Grouped (cross-group): sections per grouping value; the dialog asks for the grouping column, the detail columns, and optional group totals (numeric column + aggregation).

Notes:

• cancelling the dialog creates nothing; for non-administrator users (or on error) the designer opens with the historical empty-bands template.
• unselected columns remain available in the Dictionary panel: the selection only filters the generated cells.

Operational Notes

• If you add/remove metadata columns, reopen the report designer to regenerate the dictionary.
• The report uses metadata-driven field names: avoid uncoordinated renames on the metadata side.
• For advanced scenarios, you can still integrate custom datasources in the .mrt file.